Publications
Articles, publications, books, tools and multimedia features from the U.S. Institute of Peace provide the latest news, analysis, research findings, practitioner guides and reports, all related to the conflict zones and issues that are at the center of the Institute’s work to prevent and reduce violent conflict.
At USIP, Zimbabwe’s Beatrice Mtetwa Describes Repression, Legal Challenges
Zimbabwean human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, who has defended peace activists, journalists, opposition candidates, farmers and ordinary citizens arrested and prosecuted by the government of Robert Mugabe, appeared at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) on April 25, discussing her ongoing efforts to use the country’s laws and court system to defend clients against politically-motivated charges that seem aimed at deterring opponents to Mugabe’s three decades of rule.
Mali’s Precarious Democracy and the Causes of Conflict
The fight to defeat jihadist militias in northern Mali has masked the underlying countrywide political crisis that feeds the conflict, according to this new Special Report. By engaging in intercommunal, inclusive dialogue to address past governance failures, Mali can begin to move toward stability and legitimacy.
Informal Justice and the International Community in Afghanistan
Recognizing that lack of access to justice in Afghanistan was a serious problem that helped fuel insurgency, the international community launched an array of programs to research and actively support informal justice mechanisms. In some cases, these efforts hampered local dispute resolution. This study finds that the best approaches fostered an environment for local political change that strengthened linkages between formal and informal participants in the justice system.
Afghanistan and the International Drug Control Regime
Despite extensive counternarcotics interventions and reductions in poppy cultivation in certain regions, Afghanistan remains the largest supplier of illicit opiates. In this Peace Brief, USIP’s William Byrd examines the current situation and various options to manage the problem.
Establishing a Mining Sector in Postwar South Sudan
South Sudan has untapped mineral resources, and its government is striving to set up a regulatory framework that will ensure the equitable distribution of the benefits of its mineral wealth. If it takes key steps to secure the informed consent of the affected landowning communities, the government can reduce the potential for unrest and conflict around future mining ventures.
Panel at USIP Considers Counterterrorism in Pakistani Tribal Areas
Counterterrorism efforts, including strikes at suspected militants by unmanned U.S. drone aircraft, are worsening already damaged relations between tribal areas of Pakistan and the country’s central government, and the approach should be rethought, a leading scholar of Islamic studies said recently at USIP.
'I Have to Do It’: Vital Voices Awardees Buck Threats, Futility
"Every time I walk out of my house, I never think that I can return," said the petite activist whose diminutive frame belied the threats she's faced down as a land-rights campaigner in Cambodia. She joins a Palestinian businesswoman and a Brazilian police chief to discuss what drives them to push for change in their societies
Taking the 'Thug' Out of Security Forces: What Women Can Do
The daunting process of transforming police and other security forces after the fall of an authoritarian regime often is missing a key ingredient that would make the endeavor more effective – the perspectives and involvement of women. A new guide aims to change the dynamics.
Iraq Lessons: Will They Be Heeded?
Stuart Bowen, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, and experts including USIP’s Manal Omar examine lessons learned from Iraq – ranging from the continuing diffusion of responsibility across U.S. government agencies to the need to ensure the local population and its leaders have a realistic understanding of the time that rebuilding takes.
U.N. Convoy Attacked in South Sudan
The killing this week of five United Nations peacekeepers and seven civilians by armed attackers in South Sudan is a tragic reminder of the sacrifices made by U.N. personnel around the world in conflict zones.